Crystal Palace’s Austrian manager Oliver Glasner addresses a press conference in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on May 26, 2026, the eve of the UEFA Conference League final football match Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano. (Photo by Ronald WITTEK / POOL / AFP)
Oliver Glasner on Tuesday called on his Crystal Palace side to atone for their Europa League demotion by beating Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday and returning to the competition.
Speaking ahead of the final in Leipzig, Germany, Glasner, who will leave the club after Wednesday’s game, said victory would return Palace to a competition they “deserved” to play in this season.
Palace qualified for a debut Europa League campaign when Glasner guided them to last season’s FA Cup, the first title in their history.
But UEFA stripped Palace’s right to play in the competition due to multi-club ownership rules and they started in the Conference League instead.
